American Nightmare
by cheezmunky
Summary: All you new people need to know is that it's an angsty TATE. :D The rest of you know the plot and all this seems superfluous to me. :D
1. Realization Gives Way to Denial

Kate Todd groaned as she rolled out of bed. She had a splitting headache, so she walked into the bathroom to get an aspirin. That was when she noticed the bruise on her jaw and and the purple handprints on her shoulders. And the events of the night before flooded back to her. She'd been raped. No, almost raped. He'd only gotten her pants unzipped and ripped her shirt open before she'd kneed him in the groin and tore off toward home. She shoved it toward the back of her mind though. Caitlin Todd's job was calling.  
  
Gibbs greeted Kate with a cheerful, "Mornin' Kate. You look like hell."  
  
"Thanks Gibbs, you too." Kate replied as she sat down at her desk.  
  
She scooted her chair in, and shrieked.   
  
Tony yelled a curse as he hit his head on Kate's desk.   
  
"Tony! What the HELL are you doing under my desk?"  
  
Tony backed out from under the desk and sat up, rubbing his head.  
  
"Damn Kate. You put the fear of God in me."   
  
Gibbs smirked. "Someone needed to."  
  
Tony turned back to look under the desk.  
  
"Aha!" He declared. "I was looking, for this."  
  
He turned around and showed Kate a small blue gelatinous looking ball.  
  
"I bought it for you." He grinned. "I thought it was cool lookin, the way the milky stuff swirls around.  
  
Kate's expression had softened. "Thanks." she murmured.  
  
Tony looked over at Gibbs, concerned. Gibbs only shook his head and looked toward Tony's desk and back again.  
  
Tony nodded and got to work. 


	2. Tony's Casa, Sua Casa

Thanks to Francy for telling me that "E' l'un" means "it's one o'clock" and not, "Is she the one." :p  
All correct Italian translations are due to her. :D

Sorry. I forgot the disclaimer in the first chapt. I'll put it there later. 

So, NCIS doesn't belong to me. The real, or fictitious one.

However, Mamma Rosa, Sonya, and Sua Casa do belong to me.

Oh yeah, I haven't had this beta-ed either, as I'm the only beta I know. :D So, if anyone would like to help, just email me plz.

AN:Sonya was the name of the story time lady that I saw every Wednesday at my local library when I was little. She holds a special place in my heart.

AN2:There are some Italian words in here. In advance, here are their translations. You can refer back to them as you go if you prefer though. Their in order of appearance

tesoro- honey

caro- dear

Ciao- bye

È quella giusta?- Is she the one?

"La porterò ancora.- I'll bring her back.

il bambino- baby

Le piaci, sai.- She likes you, you know.

il bambino- baby

At lunch time, Tony approached Kate, who was still sitting at her desk. "Kate," he softly asked.

"Hmm? Oh, hi Tony. You need somethin'?"

"No." he replied. "I was just wondering if you wanted to go to lunch with me."

Kate arched an eyebrow.

"My treat." Tony smiled his dazzling smile and Kate gave in.

"Alright."

"Alright." Tony repeated after her.

Tony helped her with her coat and they went out the door.

Kate tightened her coat around her as she climbed into Tony's car.

"So, where are we going," she inquired.

"You like pizza?"

"Everyone likes pizza."

"Okay, then how about Sua Casa?"

"You want to go to my house?"

"No." Tony laughed. "Sua Casa is an Italian restaraunt just this side of the Beltway. They serve pasta, pizza, and other Italian stuff."

"Sure, sounds great."

Other than that, the conversation on the ride to the restaurant was work related.

When they parked at the restaurant, Tony opened the doors for Kate.

Inside, they were greeted by a large woman with gray laced brown hair. "Anthony! So good to see you." She said in thickly Italian accented English. "Who's your friend?"

"Hi Mamma Rosa," he replied as he kissed her on the cheek. "This is my partner, Caitlyn Todd."

"Partner," Mamma Rosa said skeptically. "It's not nice to lie, Anthony."

Kate interceded then. "I assure you ma'am, we only work together."

"Please Caitlyn, call me Mamma Rosa." said the older woman, her eyes dancing.

"Yes ma'a- Mamma Rosa."

"My goodness," Mamma Rosa exclaimed. "How rude of me. Please children, have a seat. I'll send a waitress over in a minute."

At that, the mother figure hurried off toward the kitchen.

Tony grinned. "What do you think?"

"She's sweet. Reminds me of my Aunt Lily."

"She's my mom."

Kate smiled. "Really? How'd a sweet little lady like that end up with a son like you?"

Tony feigned a hurt expression. "The first girl I introduce to my mom, and she doesn't even believe me."

"You can't be telling me that you don't bring your girlfriends here."

"I can and I am. Mom doesn't like women around me. She's afraid I'm going to get hurt." Tony murmured as an afterthought. "She does seem to like you though."

"What?"

"Um, are you ready to order? Everything's great. It's all mom's own recipes."

"Ok. I'll have the chicken parmesan."

Tony nodded at a waitress and she hussled over to their table.

"The usual, Anthony?"

"Please. And the chicken parmesan for the lady- Kate, whaddaya want to drink?"

"Iced tea is fine."

"Two iced teas Sonya. Thanks."

Sonya eyed him and left.

Conversation over lunch was light, turning occasionally to Ducky and some of his strange stories.

"Ok, that one was definitely sick." Kate said as she swallowed a bite of the chicken parmesan.

"But I see that you're still eating." Tony replied. "This doesn't gross you out?"

"Nope. I was always the kid in school telling the gross stories over lunch. I got a couple of people to barf," she nodded proudly.

Tony just shook his head and laughed.

"What?" she grinned.

"Nothing. I just never pictured you as that kind of girl."

"As-" Kate started before Mamma Rosa walked over to their table.

"Tony, tesoro, it's 12:45."

"Thanks ma. We'd better be going."

"Alright,caro. Caitlyn, come back soon."

"Ciao, mamma." Tony said as he kissed her cheek once again.

"È quella giusta," Mamma Rosa inquired.

Tony averted his eyes. "La porterò ancora." he replied.

Mamma Rosa rolled her eyes and kissed Tony goodbye. Mamma Rosa walked Kate over to the door as Tony payed for their lunch.

"You love him?"she asked.

Kate's eyes grew large. "W-What?" she stuttered.

"You love my son?" Mamma Rosa repeated.

"Tony doesn't like me like that," Kate said.

Seeing Kate cornered by his mother, Tony groaned and hurried over to her.

"Uh, Ma, we'd better go." He interrupted right in the middle of his mother's interrogation.

"Alright bambino, go back to work. Goodbye Caitlyn." Tony's mother surprised Kate by giving her a tight hug.

Kate winced as the woman's arms circled her neck, rubbing across her bruised shoulders.

"Goodbye Mamma Rosa." Kate smiled.

"Ciao ma." Tony said as he helped Kate with her coat.

As they were walking to the car, Tony heard Mamma Rosa yell, "Le piaci, sai."

Tony grinned and got into the car.

Silence reigned the car ride back to headquarters until Kate finally broke it in the elevator.

"What'd she say when we were going to the car?" she queried.

"Hmmm?" Tony stalled, trying to think of a suitable answer.

"Your mom. She yelled something at us."

"Oh, that. She said, uh, See you later."

"Oh. Alright." Kate seemed content and didn't notice the breath Tony let out.

As soon as the two agents stepped out of the elevator, they could see Gibbs waiting for them.

"Dinozzo, Kate, where the hell did you go?"

"Tony took me to see his mother." Kate said.

Gibbs cocked an eyebrow.

"I took her to Sua Casa, boss."

Gibbs nodded. "Alright. We have a new case. A female marine in Bethesda. Grab your gear."

Ok, gimme feedback. I thrive on the stuff. Good, or bad. Just exhilarated when someone reads my story. So, PLEASE review. It'll help me write faster. If you don't like my story, not reviewing won't help. I'll write more anyways, but reviews help me go faster. I have an idea of where I'm taking this, but, only bits and pieces. Any ideas? ty


	3. Gingerbread Man

Sorry this one is so short, and late. :( My mom has a new boyfriend and he's shaking things up. So I have a request. Can someone please tell me the really funny parts from the last NCIS. The dude was over and kept talking during the fun scenes. :'( I'm devastated. Please help me! Oh yeah. And a huge thank you to majorkawalsky, Shannon Terry, Gaylehill-crusader, Alamo Girl, and Ollikat. Thank you sooo much for the feedback! I'm a big fan of your work. Those of you who write. lol. I checked out all of your bios and found that you guys wrote most of my favorite stories. Bloody ironic! hehehe. Alright, on with the story! (sorry if it's a mite out of character, but I can sorta see them doing this, and it was funny, I had to write it, and it's fanfic anyways. Enjoy!)  
  
********************************  
  
********************************  
  
A brilliant white flash blinded Kate as the group walked over to the crime scene. "Tony! Your ass is mine!", she yelled and ran after him.   
  
"Can't catch me!", he laughed.  
  
"Dinozzo," Gibbs called, "you are not the gingerbread man. Give the camera to Kate and start taking measurements."  
  
Tony turned around and grinned. "Whose mea-" was all he got out before Kate tackled him, sending the camera flying and them both rolling down the hill.  
  
Kate smirked down at Tony. "Is that your flashlight, or are you just happy to be lying under me?"  
  
"I'm just-"  
  
"Dinozzo, Kate, crimescene!" Gibbs barked.  
  
Kate laughed as she rolled off of Tony and caught the camera Gibbs threw to her. "And be more careful with the camera.", he added.  
  
"Children." Ducky muttered. "I once found a pair, about their age. Their home had burned down around them while they-"  
  
"Duck!" Gibbs cut him off.  
  
"Hmm?"  
  
"Can we move the victim now?"  
  
"Yes, go ahead." Ducky nodded.  
  
Gibbs turned the woman over and Kate gasped. She and Tony both turned away.  
  
The woman's face was one big cluster of bruises and cuts. Her face was swollen beyond recognition and her brown hair was matted with blood and bits of gray tissue.  
  
"Oh dear lord." Duck murmured. "You poor woman."  
  
"Kate," Gibbs ordered, "finish taking pictures. Then I want you and Dinozzo to do a sweep of the area."  
  
The two younger agents turned back around and mumbled their assent. No one spoke as they finished their tasks and the silence remained in place until they were on their way back to headquarters.  
  
"You two didn't find anything," Gibbs questioned.  
  
"No," Tony answered. "There wasn't any sign of a struggle, or any of her belongings. She was probably killed somewhere else and dumped here."  
  
Gibbs nodded. "The LEO that found her said he saw some buzzards circling overhead and pulled over to check it out. Thought he'd find a dog or fox." 


	4. Etched in Glass

Disclaimer: Same as all the others, 'cept in this chapter I made up a bar. So, as far as I know, Clava's is my own creation. However, the recipe for the liquor drink is completely real. Heheh. Even the garnish and glass it's served in. My mom has a book on bartending. I'm not an underage drinker.*giggles and shakes head* Nope, nope, nope.  
  
AN: And special thanks to Alamo Girl and everyone who reviews. Sorry it took me so long, and yes, Kate will deal with what happened very soon. I'm just putting it off because in this situation many women do go into denial and don't deal until something sets them off and they break down. Alright. On to the story.  
  
*******************************************  
  
Kate, Tony and Ducky stood in the morgue, viewing the victim.   
  
"See this laceration here?" Ducky pointed to just under the woman's cheekbone. "Someone stabbed her almost through the back of the head and she bled to death. And see the gray tissue in her hair? I guess I don't need to tell you that that's her brain. Her killer hit her over the head too, but by then she was already dead.  
  
"Was she sexually assaulted?", Tony quietly asked.  
  
"Yes, I'm afraid," Ducky replied as he pulled the sheet down to reveal the rest of the body.  
  
"Are those handprints Ducky?", Tony asked.  
  
"Yes. In cases like this, there are many contusions, but as you see, the ones on her torso are bruises like the ones you or I get when we bump into something. But these here," Ducky indicated the woman's shoulders. "These are black from force being applied before and up until the moment she died."  
  
Kate's hands went unconciously to her own shoulders. "He held her down while she bled out." Kate murmured.  
  
"And it probably took her a good half hour to do so. Looked her in the eyes the whole time..." Ducky trailed off and Kate cleared her throat.  
  
"I'm sorry Caitlyn, you two can go now. I know the morgue isn't the funnest place to be."  
  
Kate nodded and nearly ran out the door.  
  
"Thanks, Ducky," Tony said, absently watching Kate. "Was there any semen found?"  
  
"Actually, there was. And there was also a strange fluid found. Gerald took it up to Abby."  
  
"Thanks," Tony repeated and went up to see Abby.  
  
*******************************  
  
When Tony walked into the forensics lab, he was blasted by the sound of Lunatic Calm's 'Leave You Far Behind'. Abby was clicking through images on her computer and Tony had to tap her on the shoulder to get her attention.  
  
"Geez, Tony!" She yelped. "Don't sneak up on me."  
  
"Sneak?", Tony yelled over the music, " I called your name 3 times. You just couldn't- Is this the Tomb Raider soundtrack?"  
  
Abby turned down the music. "Tomb Raider '2'. The movie wasn't the ultimate, but the CD rocks. Why?"  
  
"I have this CD," he grinned.  
  
Abby laughed. "So, watcha need? Besides a good spanking that is."  
  
"Are you going to be the one to give it to me?" he asked.  
  
"What?"  
  
"The spa- Nevermind. Ducky said you had the fluids found in our Lieutenant Commander. Know whose they are yet?"  
  
"I just entered in the semen. The mystery fluid however, I got a match on."  
  
"Well.."  
  
"It was liquor. The glass shards in the face had traces of it on them too."  
  
"Rum, whiskey, scotch?"  
  
"A Madres. 1 1/2 oz. vodka, 4oz-"  
  
"cranberry juice, 1 ounce orange juice. Garnished with lime, served in a highball glass." Tony cut in.  
  
"You know your liquor," Abby grinned.  
  
"Yeah, I worked as a bartender to pay off my college loans. But those glasses come standard. They could belong to any bar."  
  
"Not the glass that killed our victim. It has bright blue leters etched into it. Only one place around here has that, Clava's. Kate and I go there all the time."  
  
"Thanks, Abby." Tony called over his shoulder as he ran out of the lab. Any response the goth bothered to give was drowned out by the CD player as she turned it up fullblast, and the doors closed behind Tony. 


	5. American Nightmare

AN: I own nothing. *sob* No, wait. I own this pencil. :D Ah crap. *sob* My mom bought that too. LOL. Well, I do own the- wait, not gonna tell you 'cuz that'll ruin it. You'll figure out what I'm talking about and ask me. :D Oh yeah! This is my last finished chapter so far. So, since I've not been able to post for a while, I'm making it up to you in this special double edition weekend. :D But, I probably won't be able to post again 'til next week. What a suckfest! (just wanted to use that word) Oh! And next weekend, I will hopefully be able to post the dream I had last night. There'll be probably at least 3 different stories that come from it though. Just because it's so weird. And to all you TIBBS shippers, I'm sorry, but love TATE. Mark Harmon is mine. *giggle* *mutters*Even though he's (counting) *wince* 38 years my senior. Ah well, he's the main reason I watched Freaky Friday. And the reason I'm going to eventually watch Chasing Liberty. I love old guys. Stop muttering. I know I'm a freak. And I promise you that a REALLY FUN TATE shipper story is coming soon. A humor one. :D Ah well, I should shut up now. I will TRY to write a TIBBS story. TRY! But I may just write one story with an alternate shipper pairing. TATE and KIBBS. I'm also gonna try TABBY. And one with Gerald. And I'm gonna do at least one with character death. And- Oops. Don't want to give EVERYTHING away. But one more question: Is anyone interested in co-authoring a story with me? I have so many ideas, but I'm finding it hard to do them myself. I don't wanna write all the fun ones, I wanna read 'em. Ya'll know what it's like. Ahem. Sorry. On to the story. (It'll come faster if I get reviews. *wink wink*  
  
  
  
***************************  
  
Tony approached his partner, who was sitting at her desk, staring off into space. "Kate," he softly said, "are you okay?"  
  
Kate broke out of her reverie. "Hmm? Uh, yeah. I'm fine."  
  
"Are you sure?"  
  
"Yes, I'm sure!" she snapped.  
  
"Look, you flew out of the morgue like a bat out of hell! Sorry for caring."  
  
Tony snatched up his coat and strode toward the elevator.   
  
"Tony, wait!" Kate called. When he didn't stop, she ran after him and caught him by by the arm. "Tony, please," she cried. He turned around and peered down at her.  
  
"What?" he caustically asked.  
  
"I-I'm sorry. I can't deal with this right now."  
  
"Can't deal with what?"  
  
"I-"  
  
"Am I interrupting something?" Gibbs asked.  
  
Kate quickly dropped Tony's arm and he looked questioningly at her. But she only averted her eyes.  
  
"No boss," Tony replied, "I was just leaving."  
  
Gibbs stepped out of the elevator as Tony pressed the number for the lobby. As the doors closed, a tear slipped down Kate's cheek and she quickly gathered her things, wanting more than anything to get home. "Agent Todd," Gibbs asked, "Are you alright? You-"  
  
"Not now, Gibbs"  
  
"I-"  
  
"Not now," Kate bit out. " I have to go."  
  
Gibbs silently nodded and watched his other partner leave. When the doors closed behind her, he only sighed and shook his head. She'd tell him when she was ready.  
  
**********  
  
"Shit!" Tony spun his car around and sped back to headquarters. Kate was going to talk to him whether she wanted to or not.  
  
**********  
  
Kate slammed the door of her apartment. She only made it as far as the livingroom before she collapsed on the floor, sobbing. 'Dammit', she thought. 'He was trying to help me and I blew him off. What the hell is wrong with me? I should be able to deal with this. I wasn't even raped!' "Dammit!" she screamed. Kate laid on her living room floor, crying, until she fell asleep.  
  
**********  
  
Abby strolled into the bullpen, humming Alien Ant Farm 's newest song. When she reached Kate's desk, she found a note for her.   
  
------Abby,  
  
Sorry to cancel, but I forgot I had this thing to do tonight.  
  
Kate  
  
As Abby leaned over to throw the post-it away, she noticed Kate's notebook was still lying on her desk. She shrugged and began reading it.   
  
"Kate!" Tony yelled as he ran over from the elevator. "Abby, where's Kate?"  
  
"She left. She had-"  
  
"Thanks." Tony started to run back toward the elevator, but Abby's voice stopped him.  
  
"Tony, I think you'd better take a look at this before you yell at her."  
  
Abby handed him the notebook. Tony gave her a strange look and mouthed the words as he read them.  
  
Through my tears and muffled screams  
  
I think, "there goes my 'American Dream'"  
  
The two car garage and the front porch swing,  
  
Or the white picket fences aren't for me  
  
A green eyed woman with dark brown hair,   
  
Icy heart, and vacant stare.  
  
But with my dark secret I brave the world  
  
Picking up pieces of my life, unfurled  
  
I face my colleagues, friends though they be,  
  
I can't let them know that it happened to me.  
  
No one was there to stop the thief  
  
Who stole my heart, my laugh, my loving being  
  
He took everything I held dear  
  
With a live enactment of my worst fear  
  
Sometimes in my sleep I relive the hell  
  
Through nightmares that resemble too well  
  
The night my emotions were taken from me  
  
To be replaced by an emptiness forever to be.  
  
"Oh my god," Tony whispered, "She was raped. And all I did was bitch at her for not telling me!"  
  
"Calm down. There was no way you could've known."  
  
"Because I wouldn't listen! I asked her what was wrong, but I didn't give her a chance to tell me! Dammit!"   
  
Abby flinched as Tony slammed his fist down on Kate's desk, causing several people to look at him.   
  
"What the hell are you staring at?! Do your damn jobs!"  
  
"Tony, chill. Y-"  
  
"I gotta go Abbs. I have to talk to her."  
  
"Tony!" Abby yelled.  
  
He waved her off as he impatiently pushed the elevator call button, then ran down the steps.  
  
Abby was slowly shaking her head when the elevator doors opened and Gibbs strolled into the bullpen.  
  
"I've been looking for you." he said. "Abby, what are you doing up here?"  
  
"I was talking to Tony."  
  
Gibbs frowned. "But he already left."  
  
"He came back," she answered. "Then he left again."  
  
"May I ask why?"  
  
"He wanted to talk to Kate. He was pretty pissed."  
  
"Kate went home right after Tony did. She was pretty upset too." Gibbs paused. "They're not-"  
  
"No! Well, not as far as I know. Kate-He-Kate was raped."  
  
Gibbs eyes grew large.  
  
"I probably shouldn't have told you. I just-"  
  
"Did Tony go to talk with her?"  
  
"Yeah." Abby frowned. "What're you gonna do?"  
  
"Nothing." Gibbs replied. "She'll tell me when she's ready."  
  
"But you already know."  
  
"She needs to deal with it on her own terms. Maybe she'll open up to Tony"  
  
"Or withdraw from all of us." 


	6. Deal, Hold, or Withdraw Pt 1

AN: Hope you like it. Bummer if you don't. It's my story so, Nana nana boo boo. :D I also have 3 other stories in the works. Two humors and another dark one. Oh yeah, and TPTB stole my murderer! I was gonna use a SEAL! grrrrrr. Ah well, I have a long list of more stuff like that. Fun ways to die too. :D Unless you happen to be the deceased. Heh. 'Kay. On to the story. Oh yeah, I finally got to see Minimum Security. :D I loved the iguana and the wink. I hate Bitch Cassidy though. That's what I'm gonna call her from now on. :D   
  
Um, yeah. The story...  
  
Tony urgently knocked on Kate's door. He waited two seconds before jiggling the doorknob, which to his surprise gave. He stuck his head through the door and started to call her name. Then he saw her lying on the floor.   
  
"Kate," Tony choked out as he ran over and checked her pulse. He heaved a sigh of relief when he found it to be steady.  
  
"Kate, wake up." He gently shook her and she quickly rolled to an alert sitting position, her hand going to her gun. Her eyes softened when she realized who it was.   
  
"Tony, what are you doing here?" she mumbled as she wiped the sleep from her eyes.   
  
"I came to talk to you. And then I found you... You scared the hell out of me, Kate."  
  
"Sorry. I -fell asleep."  
  
"On the floor, I know." Tony paused. "Why?"  
  
"I was just tired."  
  
"Kate," Tony started.  
  
Kate stood up. "Do you want coffee? I need some caffeine. I know it's not really good f-"  
  
Tony stood up and spun her around to face him.   
  
"You were raped, Kate. You need to talk to someone."  
  
"I wasn't raped," she said with her eyes downcast.  
  
"I saw the paper, Kate. That poem you wrote. I-"  
  
Kate jerked her arm loose. "You went through my stuff?! Of all the inane bullshit-" she sputtered.  
  
"I didn't go through your stuff." Tony corrected. "The notebook was left open on your desk." Tony waited for her to say something. When she didn't, he plunged on. "Do you wanna talk about it?" he quietly asked.  
  
"It's not that." Kate dropped down on the couch and peered up at Tony with tears threatening to spill. "I can't, Tony. I can't-"  
  
As the tears began to fall, Tony sat down beside her and wrapped his arms around her. She sobbed uncontrollably as she leaned into him, and he rubbed her back and kissed her hair until they both fell asleep.   
  
*********************************  
  
Tony woke up two hours later to find Kate lying on her back with her head in his lap. He softly smiled as he stared down at her face, angelic and unmarred in sleep. He gently drew a hair away from her face. Then his stomach growled and he tentatively stood up and placed a pillow under her head.  
  
'Let's see what Kate has to eat', he thought as he walked over to the fridge. Opening it, he snorted in surprise. All Kate had in her fridge was chinese food, beer, and ground beef. In the freezer he found frozen pizza, waffles, and ice cream. "And behind door number three..." Tony murmured as he opened the pantry. "Linguini, coffee, popcorn, chocolate," Tony chuckled.  
  
"What's so funny?" Kate asked with a yawn. Tony grinned as he turned around. "You eat like a college student...I didn't wake you up, did I?"  
  
"Not by being loud. I sensed you were gone."  
  
"Sorry. Why don't you go take a shower while I fix dinner?"  
  
"Alright. I'll only be a minute though."  
  
"Suit yourself." Tony replied as he got out the tomato sauce and spices.  
  
"Hey, Kate."  
  
"What?" she yelled from the bathroom.  
  
"Where are the pans?"  
  
"In the cupboard beside the oven."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
"Need anything else?"  
  
"No I got it from here."  
  
Kate turned on the shower and Tony started dinner.  
  
"Damn shirt," he muttered as he opened the basil. Exasperated, Tony stopped to remove his suspenders. He set them on the coffee table and rolled his sleeves up before washing his hands again and putting the pasta on to boil.  
  
***********************  
  
20 minutes later, Kate emerged from the shower in a softball jersey and black shorts with her blown dry hair up in a pony tail.  
  
"Dinner's ready," Tony announced as he set their plates on Kate's dining room table.  
  
"Wow. Tony, this is- I thought you'd make pizza."  
  
Tony raised his eyebrows. Would you prefer pizza?"  
  
"No. I just didn't know you could cook."  
  
"I'm the son of an Italian woman who had no daughters. Go figure... Sit. Eat."  
  
Kate sat down and Tony helped scoot her chair in before taking his place across from her.  
  
Dum Dum Dum! Hehehe. Part coming soon. Hopefully. There's alot more coming and I swear that Kate WILL deal with what happened. Chapter 6 is just twice as long as all of my other chapters, so I've broken it into 2 parts. Sorry.  
  
Did you guys get the joke in Minimum Security? Kate was wearing a UCLA jersey and Mark Harmon used to quarterback for their football team. :D 


	7. Deal, Hold, or Withdraw Pt2

Here's the second part of chapter 6. I don't really like chapt 7, so I'll have to rewrite it. While keeping the stuff that ties everything in together. Ugh! Also, I'm torn in tow different directions as to how Kate would really react to this situation. So I'm writing an alternative fic. Same base plot: sexual assault, but it'll be much darker. Look for it in the next month. (hopefully) 'S.R. A.18' Coming soon to a webpage near you. :D   
  
AN:OMG that was cheesy. On to the story.  
  
WAIT! Sidebar. :D As to the question "Would Gibbs let Tony have first crack at helping Kate?" I think that for all the fronting that Gibbs does, behind his facade is a man who cares deeply for his partners/friends. If he thought that Tony could help more at that moment, I think he'd let it go.   
  
AND more damn reviews please. The more I get, the faster/better I write. Yup. It's been scientifically proven. (Not really. At least, not as far as i know. hmm.)  
  
AHEM! *cough*sorry*cough* "ON TO THE STORY!"  
  
"I see you've found my CD's," Kate commented. Tony smiled as Sammy Davis Jr.s voice floated into the room. "Yeah. You have about 30 soundtracks. You collect 'em?"  
  
Kate swallowed her spaghetti. "Since I was 14." Tony nodded and they finished their meal in silence.  
  
"You wash, I'll dry?" Kate asked. "Alright," Tony waited until he'd washed a few dishes before saying, "Are you ready to talk about it?" Kate ignored him and continued drying dishes. "Kate-" "The CD's over." she muttered. "It's on repeat. If you were raped-"   
  
"I wasn't raped-" she murmured. "Kate-" Tony started.   
  
She looked him in the eye. "I wasn't raped." she repeated.  
  
"Then why'd you write that poem? It's pretty dark stuff."  
  
"It just came to me. Happy now?"  
  
"No. There's still something wrong with you."  
  
Kate started to walk away, but Tony grabbed her shoulder and turned her around..  
  
Or tried to. Halfway around, Kate cried out in pain and her knees buckled. Tony caught her against him worriedly stared down at her. "What's wrong? What'd I do?" Kate looked up at him with tears in her eyes and slowly pulled the neck of her shirt over to reveal the bruises. "Kate," Tony whispered, "those are handprints. What the hell happened?"  
  
"I was almost assaulted." "Almost?" Tony frowned.  
  
Kate toook a steadying breath. " I went to a bar with Abby the other night. I jog in the mornings, so I left early. In the parking lot, this sleazy guy started hitting on me. I told him I wasn't interested. Then he shoved me up against my car, ripped my shirt, and unzipped my pants. I kneed him in the groin and drove home."   
  
"Why didn't you tell me?"   
  
"I couldn't." Kate started to cry and looked away again. Tony wiped a tear from her cheek.  
  
"Hey, you can tell me anything. Don't cry."  
  
Kate pulled away and started pacing. "I'm just so..pissed off! I shouldn't have a problem dealing with this."  
  
"It's your bete noir. It's every woman's nightmare." Tony soothed.  
  
"Being raped is the nightmare. Not being shoved up against a car! I should be relieved, not scared out of my mind."  
  
"Kate, I hate to ask you this, but do you remember anything odd about him?"  
  
Kate wiped a tear from her eye and shook her head.  
  
"No. Average build, a little taller than me. I couldn't really see him. It was too dark."  
  
"Was there anything in what he said-"  
  
Kate whirled around, her eyes wild with fear. "He knew my name."  
  
"What?!"  
  
"He called me 'Caitlyn'."  
  
"Maybe he just heard Abby talking to you." Tony suggested.  
  
"But what if he didn't?..Oh God. What if he comes after me? Please don't leave, Tony. Please..." Kate trailed off, sobbing. Tony pulled her into his embrace and soothingly rubbed her back. "Shh. I'm not going anywhere."  
  
***********************  
  
They stood that way for a while; his arms wrapped tightly around her while she cried into his chest. When her sobs finally subsided into sniffles, Tony moved back far enough to see her face, but still have his arms around her.   
  
"You okay now?" he softly murmured. Kate nodded.  
  
"Then I think it's time I got you in the sack."  
  
Kate's eyebrows shot up. "So this was all about sex?!" She angrily broke free of his arms and turned away. "I should've known. You are a sexist pervert-"  
  
"No! No. I meant, you need to go to bed. It's 2300 and we have work tomorrow." Tony lifted his eyebrows in emphasis and Kate ran a hand through her hair, slowly exhaling. "God, I'm sorry, Tony."  
  
"It's fine. You're drained and need to sleep. I get that and I plan on sleeping in the living room. You have a big couch."  
  
"Are you sure? I-"  
  
"I'll be fine." he reassured. Kate started toward her bedroom and Tony followed.  
  
"Um, Tony. What're you doing?"  
  
"Tucking you in." he grinned. "Is that what you're wearing to bed?"  
  
Kate looked down at her jersey and shorts. "Well, yeah. What'd you expect?"  
  
"A bra and thong." Tony deadpanned.  
  
"T-"  
  
"Kidding. Get in bed," he urged.  
  
Kate pulled the scrunchie out of her har and crawled under the covers. Tony situated the blankets over her, taking special care to literally tuck her in. He grinned and as he stared down into her eyes, he felt himself leaning over and drawing towards her lips. *No. This is wrong.* Tony conscience ripped him out of the moment and he kissed Kate's forehead instead.  
  
"'Night, Kate." he murmured as he turned to leave.  
  
" 'Night." she whispered. "Tony-"  
  
He turned around.  
  
"The blankets are in the hall closet."  
  
"Thanks."  
  
Kate smiled softly as he left the room and she burrowed down in the covers before drifting off to sleep.  
  
****************  
  
Kate's couch wasn't big, Tony decided. It was damn huge. Especially after he'd removed the back cushions. Tony sighed as he stripped down to his boxers and pulled his blanket over him. He'd almost kissed her. And she would've kissed back. He'd seen it in her eyes. But it was only the stress. Kate herself had told him that they were like siblings; that a relationship between them would never work. So he'd settle for being her protector. *A platonic knight in shining armor.* 


	8. Commando

AN: when you get to the part about the 'sleep in the eyes' , I meant eye boogers. But boogers just sounds a little...hinky, for this part of the story. (Like how I incorporated 'hinky' into my note? I'm good. :D lol I'm such a geek.) Story now.  
  
Kate yawned and strolled into the livingroom. Tony was still passed out on the couch with his clothes on the floor. Kate gingerly picked them up and put them in the washer. Then she quietly crept into the kitchen to find something for breakfast. "Hmmm...Pizza, chinese, frozen waffles..." Kate shrugged and turned on the oven. "Waffles it is."   
  
A smile tugged on Kate's lips as she looked over at Tony, sound asleep.  
  
He'd been great last night. He'd make dinner and let her sob into his shirt. He'd even tucked her in. Kate chuckled. She almost could have sworn he was about to kiss her...Kate shook the thought from her head. He was her partner and he had done all of those for her because he was her friend. It didn't go any further than that. She'd only imaginged that he was going to kiss her. *Wishful thinking* Kate snorted. *I've got nothing to bitch about. I said it was just a brother, sister thing. But if I hadn't-*  
  
Kate was pulled from her thoughts by a sleepy Tony. "Um, where are my clothes?" Kate smiled.  
  
"I put them in the washer. I figured you'd want to take a shower and'd need clean clothes."   
  
"Oh. What time is it?" Tony asked as he blinked the sleep from his eyes.  
  
"0530. Breakfast'll be done by the time you get out of the shower."  
  
Tony sleepily grinned. "Pizza or chinese?"  
  
"Waffles."  
  
Tony shook his head and half stumbled into the bathroom. Kate heard the shower start and ran to the door.  
  
Kate called through the door, "Tony, I need your underwear."  
  
"For what? You have a secret fetish or something?"  
  
"No! Well, I might-I'm gonna put your underwear in with your other clothes."  
  
Tony opened the door a few inches and threw out his boxers. Kate picked them up with the tips of her thumb and forefinger and tossed them into the washer.  
  
******************  
  
10 minutes later, Tony came out of the bathroom with a fluffy, white towel wrapped around his waist. "Is the laundry done yet?" he asked  
  
"Nope. I have to put them in the dryer. I still have some of Tim's clothes though. You wanna wear those?"  
  
"Thanks, but I'll stick with the towel. The idea of going commando in another man's pants freaks me out."  
  
"Really?" Kate replied with a grin. "Well, there's always my clothes."  
  
"If I fit into your clothes, I'll shoot myself."   
  
Kate laughed. Tony smiled, her reaction was the one he'd been hoping for. Then she bit her lip.  
  
"I- Thanks. I didn't- Thanks." Kate ended lamely.  
  
"What are partners for if not to sleep on your couch, eat your food, and use your shower?"  
  
"Speaking of food, your waffles are finished. You want syrup or sugar?" Kate inquired.   
  
"Who eats sugar on their pancakes?"  
  
"As a matter of fact, I do. Butter and sugar tastes great on waffles. Even better on pancakes." Kate retorted.  
  
Tony shook his head. "You're as crazy as Abby."   
  
Tony's eyes flashed. "What was the name of that bar?"  
  
"What?"  
  
"The one where you were attacked."  
  
"Clava's, why?"  
  
"Abby found a glass shard in the victim's cheek that came from Clava's. That's what killed her." Tony grabbed his gun off the coffee table and started for the door. "It could've been the same guy who attacked you."  
  
"Where are you going?"  
  
"To tell Gibbs." Tony replied as he headed out the door.  
  
"You can't go like that."  
  
Tony turned around and Kate pointedly looked at the towel.  
  
"Right." Tony closed the door and sat back down at the table.  
  
Kate went to the back of the apartment to put the clothes in the dryer.  
  
"Your clothes'll be dry in about 30 minutes. You want to go ahead and call Gibbs?"  
  
"Noooo. Not yet. He'll want us to come in as soon as we tell him. And since I'm essentially naked, at your place, it wouldn't be a good idea. He'd ask too many questions."  
  
"I'll still have to tell him, won't I?" Kate said, more of a statement than a question.  
  
Tony sighed. "Yeah. Otherwise he'll just- Shit!"  
  
"What's wrong?"  
  
"The reason I read your poem was because Abby handed it to me...After she read it.You know she'll tell Gibbs anything. She probably cracked right after I left."  
  
"So they both think I was raped."  
  
"Well, yeah. Aren't you going to say anything else?"  
  
"No, shit pretty much summed it up." Kate sighed.  
  
"I'll just get Abby, Gibbs, and Ducky together and tell the story once."  
  
"Would you rather I did it?" Tony softly offered.  
  
"No, I need to do it. But thank you. This is-"  
  
"Weird?" Tony finished.  
  
"I was going to say nice, but yes. I had you pegged as a chauvinistic skirtchaser and you aren't."  
  
Tony grinned. "Eat your waffles before they get hard."  
  
***********************************************************  
  
AN: They'll be outta the apartment in the next chapter, I swear on my lilly white ass. As for this chapter, I know, I know. Kinda lame, but I couldn't think of any way to change it. Well, I took out a sentence and added 3, but this is as good as it gets. Until I make a final revision at the end of the story. That will be the version that'll be archived. After I do a contiuity sweep. :D I have a few, minor discrepancies in my story. The next chapter is dedicated to you if you can find them. :D Hehehe. Beta cheating. And my apologies for using 3 different forms of the word 'sleepy' within a paragraph. Groggy and boogers didn't sound right. Now! Hit me with the digits! (for those of you who've never watched Star Search, that means "review dammit!" :D 


	9. Admissions

AN: Uh, yeah. Apologies if it sucks. Check out my website. It's still being made, but is open to the public. That would be you.   
  
Tony and Kate purposely strode across the bullpen towards Gibbs' desk. Gibbs, engrossed in his paperwork, didn't look up. Tony cleared his throat.   
  
"Uh, boss. Will you come with us to the morgue? We need to talk to you."  
  
Gibbs looked up at them and reading their expressions, rose and unquestioningly followed his partners to the elevator. No one spoke as the elevator descended and them at the morgue. Gibbs was the first to reach the autopsy bay doors, and he paused, cocking an eyebrow at Tony and Kate who had stopped about three feet behind him.   
  
"We'll be right in," Tony assured him. "Abby and Ducky are already in there."  
  
Gibbs nodded and left the pair in the hallway.   
  
"Ready?" Tony simply asked.  
  
"As I'll ever be," Kate replied and they solemnly entered the autopsy lab.  
  
Ducky immediately approached Kate, enfolding her in a tight embrace while Gibbs remained by Abby, who was nervously biting her lower lip.  
  
"Oh my dear," Ducky murmured as he pulled back to look at Kate.  
  
"Katie, why didn't you say something?" Gibbs frowned in concern.  
  
"Why didn't you tell us?" Ducky asked.  
  
"I didn't tell you, because I wasn't raped." Kate quietly answered.  
  
"But I found that poem!" Abby blurted.  
  
"The poem was just something that came to me. I wasn't raped, but" Kate paused. "I was almost assaulted."  
  
"I don't understand." Ducky said.   
  
"Abby, remember when we went to Clava's Sunday night?"  
  
Abby nodded.  
  
"When I left, someone followed me out. He started in on me with lewd pick-up lines and I told him where to stick them. That really made him mad, so he shoved me up against my car and ripped my clothes. I kneed him in the groin and went home."  
  
"I'm sorry," Abby gushed. " I never should have let you leave alone. If I'd been there-"   
  
"It wouldn't have mattered. He'd probably have come after me anyways."  
  
"What?" Gibbs demanded.  
  
"He knew her name, boss." Tony said, looking helplessly at Kate.  
  
She only gingerly smiled back and turned to Gibbs.  
  
"Do you know the guy?" Gibbs questioned.  
  
Kate shook her head. "I honestly don't know. It was too dark to see, and his voice was rough, like he had a cold."  
  
"That's not much to go on. I don't know if we'll be able to find him."  
  
"I think he'll find me."  
  
"But there's something Kate needs to show you."  
  
Tony looked from Kate's eyes, to her shoulder, and back.  
  
"And that is..?" Gibbs prompted.  
  
Tony turned away as Kate pulled the neck of her shirt over to reveal the purple and green handprints.   
  
Abby gasped. So did Ducky. Gibbs just ran a hand through his hair.  
  
"Shit," he muttered.  
  
"Caitlyn," Ducky said. "Those are about the same size and placement of the prints on Cmdr. Scott's body."  
  
Abby's eyes widened. "Oh my God. It's the same guy. He got pissed after you got away and took it out on the other girl."  
  
"Abbs, the glass shard isn't much to go on."  
  
"But it's all we have. Besides, when murderers stab their victims, they get their own blood on the weapon. And since it was done with broken glass, there's a really good chance he slipped up. As soon as the DNA test is done, we'll have our guy. Or at least his blood."  
  
Gibbs nodded. "But until we get this guy, someone has to be with Kate 24/7. Kate, you go to the bathroom, Abby goes with you. And if he knows your name, he may know where you live. Tony-"  
  
"We've already settled it boss, I'll be staying with her. We're picking my stuff up after work."   
  
Gibbs questioningly looked Kate in the eye and she nodded.  
  
Gibbs sighed. "Alright then. Let's get to work."  
  
AN: Okay, there's good news and bad news. Bad news first: This is all I have written so far. :( Sorry. But I have been writing this as it comes, so don't panic. LOL. Good news( I just saved a shitload of money on my car insurance by switching to Not-Gecko. Nah, I don't have a car, so no insurance to save money on. hehe. Don't feel sorry, I won't be eligible for my license till next year anyways.:D I'm a bad driver, so stay off the sidewalks! Kidding, I haven't taken D.E. yet, so, I dunno. ooo sorry. Let's try this again.) Good news: Part of the reason that this is all I have written is that I keep starting new stories. :) Let's just say I have 9 other stories and a missing scenes series that I'm working on. All NCIS. 8D  
  
And chapter 4 of one of them is a dream I had. What a treat you are in for my friends. A rare, disturbing insight into my warped psyche. :p You'll enjoy it.   
  
I hope. 


	10. Assignments

First off, a special shout out to everyone who keeps badgering me. I appreciate your love for me. I mean my story. Heehee. Also, to all of you who privately email me to cuss me out about not updating for a month(Emmy).

AN: SOOOOOOO VERY, INCREDIBLY, AMAZINGLY SORRY for making you wait this long. See, this is what happened. I was watching Star Trek, and the Borgs came. They sucked me through my t.v. and assimilated me. They finally set me free upon the condition that I write a KIBBS fanfic. (Because Borg are evil and this is a fate worse than death for a TATE shipper. On my way home, the transporter fizzed out and I got caught in a wormhole which deposited me on the Proteus. The spiders came, I went with the Robinson family,(heard of Blarp? Yeah, wormholes do funny things to human anatomy.) and I finally ended up back here, with help from Stargate SG-1's time machine. I'm alive and well now...if you don't count the fact that I'm currently an NCIS freak trapped in an extraterrestrial monkey's body.:D

Actually, ::seebsy(sheepish) grin:: I wrote the first half of chapter 10, then lost it. Only to open my notebook 2 1/2 weeks later (while I was depositing my new script of chapt10) and found the first edition of chapt 10 folded up right in the front pocket. Plain as day. :p My bad. Stop with the fruit! It's for eating, not throwing! I said I'm sorry!!!!!!!! Story...

"Okay, Ducky, I want you to go over that body again. See if you missed anything. Abby, put a rush on the evidence. This is priority one. Tony, Kate, we're going to find our crime scene." With that, Gibbs left the morgue, everyone but Ducky in tow.

In the elevator, Gibbs turned to Tony. "You and Kate go grab your gear and Cmdr. Scott's file. Meet me out front in 5."

The pair nodded and stepped off the elevator.

Gibbs rounded on Abby. "Abby, do you think she's alright?"

Her eyebrows shot up. "You're asking me?"

"Yeah, I'm asking you." Gibbs shrugged. "You're a woman. I figured you'd have an idea."

Abby frowned. "She seemed...calm. I'd be pretty freaked out if this happened to me. I guess Tony helped." The elevator chimed the lab floor.

"I guess..." Gibbs echoed, then shook his head. "Right. Thanks... Abby-"

The tech stopped in the elevator doorway.

"Are you sure she's fine?"

Abby shook her head. "Not one hundred percent. Ask her. Or Tony. He seems to have it under control."

Gibbs nodded as the doors closed and he lost himself in his thoughts. He was adept in interrogation, but he couldn't tell if Kate was really as okay as she claimed. She seemed fine, but... Gibbs shook his head as the elevator doors reopened at the lobby. 'Tony has a handle on the situation.'

Gibbs smirked when he saw his partners waiting by the car. They were both smiling at whatever Tony was saying.

"'Least they aren't biting each other's heads off." He muttered. "Gear in the trunk?" He asked.

"All set, Boss." Tony replied, tossing Gibbs the keys.

Tony waited for Kate to get in the back before he shut her door and climbed into the front. Gibbs sat back from the car's navigation console and started the car.

"Kate, what does the victim's file say?"

Kate began reading out of the file in her lap. "Lieutenant Commander Choebe Scott; surgeon at Bethesda Naval Hospital. Never married, no kids. Only girl in a family of four brothers. Father died of skin cancer in '89; mother of heart falilure in '98. The youngest brother died in Iraq this year. He was a private first class in supply. All of the remaining three brothers are civilian; a dentist, chiropractor, and engineer. Family obviously came from money. Commander Scott received her surgical degree from Duke University; did her internship at the Triangle. From there, she enlisted in the Navy and was made an officer through OCS. She served as an assistant surgeon aboard the USS John C. Stennis for her tour of duty before coming to Bethesda in 2002, where she's been ever since."

Gibbs nodded in approval. "I want to have a look at the crime scene before you tell me where you were. Then I need an exact, detailed account of what happened. Okay?" He asked Kate.

"Fine."

The trio settled into an odd silence, the younger two merely staring out the windows whilst Gibbs drove to the bar.

"So," Gibbs finally said. "Tony, you're staying with Kate tonight. Want me to take tomorrow?"

"Nah, Boss," Tony replied, looking back at Kate. "I can be there for as long as Kate needs me."

Kate silently smiled at him and he returned it with a lopsided grin.

Gibbs caught the look in the rear view mirror. "Uh, is..."

Tony turned back around. "Yeah, Boss?"

Gibbs cleared his throat. "We're here." He informed them, pulling into the vacant lot. 0900 was definitely too early for a drink.

"Tony, sketches and measurements. Kate, take the camera with you and Tony. You see something you need to photograph, take Tony with you."

The three departed with a nod, Gibbs starting on the front parking lot, Tony and Kate taking the back.

Tony's eyebrows quirked when they came around the corner. "There's parking back here. That explains the absence of dumpsters in the alley."

Kate snapped a picture of a purse hanging haphazardly out of a trash bin. The flash went off, and something thudded the back of the bin. Startled, Kate looked down toward the noise.

"Tony," she softly called.

Tony turned around to see the missing dumpster beside the bar's concrete steps.

"Oh, God," He murmured. "Boss, c'mere!" He yelled.

Gibbs quickly rounded the corner of the building. "What is it?"

"We've got another body."

Sorry it was short, but mom gave me a set time to finish typing it(I would've just transferred it from the other computer, but I can't figure out how to save to a flopy on it. Anyone out there have Linux?

AN: Okay, for those of you born on different planets, Duke has a med. school. Duke is located in North Carolina. 'The Triangle' refers to three universities in N.C. that are VERY close to one another. Many graduates from one of these three schools(and some others) do their internship at the hospitals there.

The name Choebe (KO-Bee) is a tribute to my very good friend from the old CB board. ::wavies:: The death of the first victim's parents is how and when my grandparents died. Now, part of this may have seemed liked Gibbs was slightly in love with Kate. jtbwriter, that's dedicated to you. Sorry if it wasn't enough, but you badger me so. Maybe I'll write a special story for you. "Baby steps....Baby steps." :D BUT, TATE shippers, this is NOT that story. Stick with me. The next chapter is half written and you will like it. :D (It also contains the medical part about the body, lab workup, etc.) You won't like it so much that KIBBS shippers will stop reading it though. Or will they? o. Alrighty roo, that's about it. So, review, review, review!


	11. Postmark

Sorry this is so late. L But hey, we're late on the Virtual Season, so this is definitely gonna be late. Sorry. The V.S. is late because (A) I got the idea off the top of my head organized after 'Reveille'. (B) One of us went on vacation, then another, some of us had to work, I went to my aunt's for a week. {C}I was really sick this past week. I completely slept through Thurs and Friday without eating. I didn't know what day it was when I got up on Saturday and I couldn't even wake up for church on Sunday, even though my alarm clock was right at my ear. Liv came down with almost exactly the same thing when I did. Star, if you're reading this, I tried to email you, but it sent it back to me. Gimme a…ring, -mail, whatever. Lol. Sorry to all of you who're waiting, but jet jock and I are on this next chapt and it'll be out this week.

Hey, you can't rush perfection(ists). On to the story.

"Her license says her name's Leta Shale. He tossed it in the bin with the Commander's purse." Tony informed the team. Gibbs turned to Ducky, who was kneeling by the body.

"Cause of death, Ducky?" Ducky tentatively glanced at Kate.

"This woman was manually strangled. From the blood on her skirt and the ripped panty hose, I'd say she was sexually assaulted also. Liver temperature indicates she was murdered in the last 18 to 24 hours. I won't know more until I take her back to the lab."

Gibbs nodded. "Thanks, Ducky." He replied, patting the pathologist on the back on his way to speak to the agents securing the crime scene. Ducky began packing his medical bag as Kate walked around to the other side of the building, arms folded across her chest. Tony quickly followed.

"Kate? You okay?"

"No." Kate turned around, tears visibly welling in her eyes. "No, I'm not." She repeated and pointed in the direction of the crime scene.

"That girl; how old did her license say she was?"

"Turned 21 two months ago."

Kate bit her lip as she nodded. "That 21 year old girl is dead. Probably killed by the same guy who killed Commander Scott. The same guy, who attacked me! This is because of me! He killed two innocent women-this one's barely old enough to be called that-he killed them because I got away."

"Kate-"

"The bastard wanted me, but he settled for them! I-" Kate broke off, sobbing, as Tony wrapped his arms around her.

"This is not your fault. There're a lot of sick people out there. That's not your fault. We'll catch him. And when we do, he'll have Hell to pay. I promise."

Kate hiccupped into Tony's chest as he soothingly rubbed her back. "I promise." he repeated.

Kate sniffled as she looked up into Tony's eyes, her own shining with tears.

"You're a mess." Tony admonished as he wiped mascara from her cheeks. "Much better."

"Yeah, well," she sniffed. "We'd better get back to work."

"Can you handle this? If you need to drop-"

"No. I've got it. Thanks."

Seven hours later, Gibbs stood up from his desk. "I'm going to watch the rest of the autopsy. I'll see you tomorrow."

"Bye, Gibbs." Kate smiled from her desk, then returned to her computer work. Gibbs stopped at Tony's desk.

"Take care of her." he whispered.

"I will, Boss. I won't let anything happen to her." Tony promised.

Gibbs nodded rounded the corner to the elevator.

"Sorry, sir." The young man gruffly apologized as he righted his mail cart. Gibbs nodded at him and continued to the elevator.

A moment later Kate looked up at the delivery man.

"Got something for me, Craig?" she asked.

The young man simply smiled and pointed to his throat as he handed Kate her mail.

"Bronchitis?" she guessed.

Craig nodded.

"You aren't contagious, are you?" She teased.

Craig smiled as he shook his head no.

"Thanks." Kate replied and returned again to her computer.

Tony waited until Craig was out of earshot before grinning at Kate. "I think he likes you."

"The killer had a handspan of nine and a half inches from thumb to the middle finger. Abby's trying to salvage any prints he may've left." Ducky sighed in frustration. "The man's a ghost, Jethro."

"Does that make us ghostbusters?" Abby chimed in as she strolled through the morgue doors.

"Found something?" Gibbs asked.

Abby winced. "Sorta. The fluid we found in the Commander was from a condom. Unfortunately, it was only the lubricant from the outside. I traced it to a generic brand. They sell them at Wal-Mart and CostCo. I'm still running the blood from Commander Scott and tests from this victim. Sorry, Gibbs."

"1700." Tony peeked over the top of Kate's computer. "You ready to go home?"

Kate signed at the bottom of her paperwork and rose. "Yeah. I-" The ringing of her office phone cut her off. "One second." she sighed. "Todd… Yeah. I'll be right down."

Kate frowned as she hung up and grabbed her purse.

"What is it?"

Kate tilted her head. "There's a package waiting for me in the mail room. They want me to come get it. Do you mind?"

Tony shook his head. "Nah. Five minutes won't kill us."

The mail room door was closed when they got there. Kate knocked twice before going in, Tony in tow.

"Hello? It's Agent Todd. I was told to pick up a package…"

Tony pointed to the far end of the mail counter. "Maybe that's it." There sat a large white box.

"Maybe… Anyone here?" Kate persisted. "Why would they tell me to get a package, but not be here to give it to me?"

Tony walked over to the counter to check it out. It had no return address. "Kate," he slowly said, backing from the box. "Something's off. I've got a bad feeling about- mmph!"

Kate whirled around in time to see Tony drop limply to the floor. Standing over him was a slight young man with brown hair and eyes.

"Hello, Caitlyn." His voice grated.

Kate's eyes widened in shock and she stood rooted in place as the man advanced on her. He shoved her back against the wall and pressed a rag over her mouth and nose.

"Nighty-night."

AN: Now, talk to me peoples. I can't wait to hear it. Any ideas of where to go from here?


	12. Held

AN: Woohoo! I decided to chop this chapter up. That is, I've divided it in two like I did chapter 6. See, for you guys, this is chapter 12, but for me, it's chapter 11. Yes, it makes it very confusing for me. :D Well, one of my muse moved 2 hours away. Or 1 1/2, depending on who's driving. Isn't that right, Bubbles? ;) Before she left though, she spent the night here, and guess what? ::Does a little dance:: "I got her hooked on NCIS!" :D Thank you, thank you! She'd already seen 'Minimum Security'(of her own volition) and watched 'Sub Rosa' at her grandma's house because her grandma likes it. "Go Mrs. R!" I had her watch 'UnSEALeD' and 'My Other Left Foot'. She loved them. Especially Abby and Gibbs, because she's goth(and crazy perky morbid like Abbs) and a coffeholic. :D She insists she's a long lost twin of Gibbs. Albeit a twin who's about 38 years younger. :D Oh, my bad. On to the story. I hope you like it and it's sufficiently surprising. Story...

Tony groaned as he groggily woke up. The pain in his head was intense. His brain seemed to be trying to expand; pounding and tightening. He opened his eyes and the light assualted them, sending a shockwave through his brain. He squeezed his eyes shut again, hot tears stinging at the corners and tried to use his hands as an added shield.

But he couldn't move them. His arms were tied behind him, secured to a sturdy wooden chair. When he tried to move his legs, he found that his ankles were bound as well.

"Not good," Tony groggily thought. He shook his head slowly, and ignoring the pain and tried to focus. He needed to figure out where he was- and whether Kate was still with him. Using his eyes, for the moment, was out of the question. What could he smell, hear?

There was low music- Tchaichovsky maybe- off to his left. The sound was slightly muffled. The air was bitingly cold, as it would be in a large unheated space. Tony was still in his button down shirt from work, and his bare arms were covered in goosebumps. Aside from the scent of chloroform that remained clinging to his nostrils, Tony could smell stale dust and dirt. The building hadn't been used in a long time. Beyond the music were the sounds of major traffic; he was close to an active roadway. That at least, was a plus for escaping.

Behing his eyelides, Tony's eyes were gradually adjusting to the onslaught of light. He blinked them open again and ignored the tears that formed. The room in front of him wasn't very large; nor small. It had the look of an old apartment building; brick walls, wooden floors, and bright light streaming through the windows. There were two doors. One was closed, whech he assumed led to the rest of the apartment. The other was open and appeared to be a closet. If he was going to escape, the first door may be the only way out. He didn't know how high up he was, so the window was temporarily unavailable.

He was in a bedroom devoid of furniture, but a bedroom nonetheless. Tony felt a chill ripple down his spine as he realized the room was completely empty and he couldn't see Kate. His inattention had gotten them kidnapped. If anything had happened to her... Tony dropped that train of thought.

'Okay, the chloroformed me, so I've only been out for about an hour.' He rationalized. 'My cell was on me, so maybe they can use the tracking device.' Gibbs had had McGee install tracking microchips in all of their cell phones after Kate had been kidnapped the first time. Of course, even if the phone was still on him, the tracking could take half a day. And who knew what would happen to him and Kate in the mean time? What they may have already done...

A sudden groan close to Tony's right ear made him flinch. He struggled to look over his shoulder, and immense relief flooded his body. Kate sat a few feet behind him, right on the edge of his peripheral vision. Like Tony, she was also tied to a chair, and her head lolled as she began to wake.

"Kate-"

"Tony?" she slurred.

"Yeah. Don't open your eyes." He whispered.

"Why not?" she whispered back. Despite his warning, she opened her eyes, only to immediately shrink back and slam them shut.

"Because it really hurts." Tony replied quietly.

"Where are we?" Kate mumbled.

"As near as I can tell, we're in an apartment building or back room of a ware house. We're still in the city."

"Tony, it's-"

He cut her off. "I know. I should've got him before I passed out. I-" Tony abruptly stopped, hearing someone approaching from the other side of the door.

"Here he comes." Tony whispered, and silently steeled himself for what was to come.

The lock quietly 'snapped' as the door was unlocked and their captor strode in, quickly closing the door before they could glimpse anything more than a brick wall.

"Hello Caitlyn." Craig rasped. "Are you hungry?"

Kate remained silent.

"Why are you doing this, Craig?" Tony blatantly asked. Craig slowly turned to glare at Tony, his eyes dancing with fury.

"You don't speak unless I tell you to." he responded coldly, then turned back to Kate. "Are you hungry? No? you usually get off late anyways. I didn't think you would be. It was stupid of me to ask. I suppose you won't be hungry 'til 9 or so." He sighed. "Call for me when you are hungry."

He smiled as he left, locking the door behind him.

After Craig had been gone a few minutes, Tony finally spoke again. "Are you okay?" he whispered.

"I'm fine." Kate simply said.

"Gibbs'll come after us, Kate. Don't worry. He'll get here before Craig touches you."

Kate sighed. "Tony, I really appreciate the optimism, but Gibbs won't look for us before Monday, when we don't show up for work. And I'm not worried about me. Now that I'm available to him, Craig's not going to rush this. He'll hold himself in suspense, savoring every moment of it. But he hates you, Tony. Did you see his face when he looked at you? His eyes were more full of hatred than anything I've ever seen before. Whatever he has planned for you is far worse than what he's going to do to me...

I'm sorry I got you into this." Kate whispered as a tear slid down her cheek.

"We already had this talk." Tony lightly replied. "And don't cry. I can't hold you."

A slight smile crept onto Kate's lips as another tear fell.

AN: Sorry if that seemed short for you. But I used college ruled paper and wrote reallllllly tiny. So, hmmph! I know alot of you objected to taking Tony with her, but hey, I've got my reasons. :D :: shrugs:: 1) I'm TATE, and hey, this story's pretty long already and I didn't since I'm working on the V.S. too, I didn't want to chance not being objective enough to not mirror the V.S. with this one. (2) Well, while your idea was good, jtb, I just don't see it. Well, actually I do, but in my mind, Gibbs literally "threw" a book out a window and I don't want it to end that way. Especially since I've been nominated for a TATE award. That would TOTALLY destroy any chance of winning I have. Although up against Star and Ash, I don't know how large my chance actually is. LOL. Speaking of Star, WHERE ARE YOU? YOU'RE UP TO BAT!

Oh yeah, review please! I thrive on this stuff. :p Well? Review! NOW! ::cough cough:: Pweeze?


	13. Gone

AN: Okay people. I'm REALLY sorry that it's taken me so long to update. That award just makes me feel obligated to make this the best it can be. So what you're reading now is actually a compilation of 3 different attempts at this chapter. You should see all of the notes on the paper. It's a complete mess. (It always is. :D)

I would like to thank all of you who took the time to harrass me about updating. The next chapter is half written, I've figured out the basic plotline, but not the end. It has to be special. :D My mommy says I'm special. :D LMAO. Oh yeah! I already have two attempts at Not Another One chapter 4, so the third times the charm, I guess. Be on the lookout for that one. Also, I already have plotted out the next 5 or so installments of the "Daughters" series. I have yet to really figure out where the Gibbs part will take me. Why don't you guys try to inspire me? What do you want to see happen next? JTB? :DOn to the story!

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Tony and Kate slumped in their chairs. Craig had been gone for an hour. As soon as they'd heard the front door close, the agents had tried to loosen their bonds. All to no avail. The ropes wouldn't budge. And Craig had taken their knives as well as their weapons and cell phones.

"For a mail guy, the kid sure knows how to tie knots." Tony muttered.

"25 hardly makes him a kid."

"25 makes him 7 years younger than me... You know what I mean." Tony gritted through clenched teeth as he tried to loosen his hands once again.

"Give it up, Tony. You'll never get it undone."

"Thanks, for the vote of confidence."

"I'm just saying that we should conserve our energy for when he comes back. Sooner or later, he'll have to untie us, and when he does, I want to be ready for him."

"Unless of course he plans to feed us himself, and not take us to the bathroom. Then we could be here forever."

Kate sighed. "There is that. I wonder where he went."

Tony shook his head. "What I wanna know is how he got us here. Did he take your car?"

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Gibbs sighed as he left NCIS Headquarters. What was it with other people and his coffee? Kate spills it, Tony constantly spills it, and the mail guy narrowly avoided spilling it not two hours ago. Gibbs frowned as he walked across the parking lot toward his car. He thought he saw Tony's black car parked beside his own. Hadn't he and Kate come to work together this morning? The younger man, like himself, seemed loathe to let Kate out of his sight. 'Maybe-' Gibbs long strides quickened as the knot in his stomach tightened. H2H-8888 was indeed Tony's license plate number. The hula girl on the dashboard confirmed it.

"Damn it!" He yelled and whipped out his cell phone. "Ducky, they're gone."

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Craig shut the door behind him and set the grocery bags down on a table in the middle of the kitchen. Then he pulled out a new knife and got to work.

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"He's back." Tony whispered. "Now what?"

"He should leave us alone until 2100. We have about two hours to decide what we're going to do."

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"Damn it!" Gibbs yelled again. "Balboa! I want you and Agent Doseck to question everyone left in the building. Find out who saw them last. Start in the bullpen.

Agent Cale, you and your team are to canvas the building. Start in the sub-basement and work your way up. Move out!" Gibbs barked.

The teams fled as Gibbs punched speed dial 6 into his cell. "Tobias, it's Gibbs. Kate and Tony are gone. What do you know?"

Ducky and Abby listened in silence from the other side of the table.

"It wasn't us. Ari's in Miami. What can I do?"

"Absolutely damn nothing! We have no suspects, nothing! Just Tony's car."

"What about ransom?"

"No. Someone attacked Kate a few nights ago. He knew her name, but she doesn't know him. That's probably who took her."

"But why'd they take DiNozzo?"

Gibbs took a deep breath. "I'm afraid of that answer."

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Craig unlatched the bedroom door at 2115.

"Caitlyn, are you ready for dinner?" He rasped.

Kate looked askance at him. "How do I know you haven't poisoned it?"

Craig frowned. "Why would I do that? If you promise to be good, I'll let you loose to eat dinner. I promise it's not poisoned. Do you promise me you'll stay here?"

Kate remained looking at him for a moment before her face relaxed. "I am hungry..."

Tony's eyes widened. "Kate! You can't-"

"Look, I'm hungry. Maybe if you ask really nicely, Craig will let you eat too."

Craig shook his head. "Not him. Not right now. Just you. Do you promise?"

Kate nodded. "I promise."

Pleased, Craig nodded and untied her feet, then her hands.

Rubbing her wrists, Kate stood up.

"After you." Craig gestured.

Kate gave a slight smile and started for the door.

"Kate-" Tony repeated.

"I'll be back in a little while, Tony."

With one last glare from Craig, the door closed, and Tony was left alone.

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Dum Dum Dum! Hehe. Did you like it? Review, and maybe I'll try a bit harder to get the next chapter out. :D I hope I didn't disappoint anyone.


	14. The Soup Thickens

AN: Okay, it may seem short, but I promised I'd get the next chapter out, and this is what I had. I didn't quite believe that you guys would review so fast. Hmmm. I'll have to watch my negotiations more closely from now on. Y'all are tricky. Okay, I have to go do some dishes now. sobs I hate the crockpot! Although it's not as bad as a thermos. I WILL NOT wash a thermos. That's just pleading to get yourself an infection. All the bacteria in those suckers. (I have that peeve because SOMEBODY likes to leave chicken noodle soup in their thermos and not bring it from the car or WHEREVER they're hiding it to be washed. And by then, it's disgusting and smells, well, like rancid chicken. It's gross! Blood, vomit, I can handle. Even bad meat, turkey included. But chicken noodle soup in a thermos, NO! You do it! Sara Sidle's thing is saliva, mine is thermos's. Go figure.) Oh yeah, as for my disclaimer(OMG, it's really late in the game to post one) Well, here it is.

Disclaimer: This story belongs to me. Albeit, all characters, with the small acceptions of Choebe, Sonya, Leta, and Mamma Rosa belong to Belisarius productions. Kate's head is just too fun to mess with. I can't help but cause her mental anguish. Maybe I'll do a bodily harm one later... Shoot her or something. Wait.. Nope. I did that one already. :D I'll have to think of something else....

Craig looked across the small, worn table at Kate, and smiled. "Do you like your soup? I hope it's not too hot."  
Hoping there weren't an narcotics in it, Kate forced herself to swallow the soup, and slightly smiled.  
"It's good. Thank you."  
"I made it myself," he beamed. "Much better than HIS pasta, isn't it?"  
Kate tried to stifle her shock. "You were watching me?"  
"I was watching over you." he hastily replied. "I saw your argument with Agent DiNozzo. And later, when he told Abigail he was going to your home, I followed him. Don't worry, he won't hurt you again." Craig assured her. "I'll take care of him."  
"What are you going to do?"  
"Kill him, of course. For you. For what he did to you."  
"He didn't do anything!"  
Craig's face clouded. "Why are you defending him? He attacked you."  
"What? Tony helped me after you tried to assault me!"  
Craig was taken aback. "I was drunk, Caitlyn. I didn't mean any of it. I would never hurt you."  
"Neither would Tony!"  
Craig's surprise slowly switched to rage as it dawned on him. "You're playing me! You and him planned this out!" Craig yelled as he violently stood and jerked Kate out of her chair by the arm. He drug her down the brick hall and unlocked the room where Tony was tied.

Tony's head shot up when he heard the tangle of footsteps coming down the hall.  
"Kate!"  
"Tony, I'-"  
"Shut up! Don't talk unless I say so!" Craig snapped, shoving Kate back into her chair.  
"Let her go! Your problem's with me!"  
Craig paused in tying Kate to look up angrily at Tony. "What'd I tell you, damn it?! If-"  
Craig dropped to the floor, cut off in mid-sentence as Kate's hand firmly clamped down on his testicles.  
"Bitch." he moaned, struggling to rise and finish tying her.  
With him lying on the floor, Kate ripped the rope loose and kicked him in the stomach with the heel of her shoe. Then she quickly got to work on Tony's hands.  
"Go!" he yelled at her. "Leave me here and go!"  
"No! Damn, I wish I had my kni-" She remembered the knife lying on the kitchen counter near the stove and took off for the kitchen. She spotted it immediately and ran back into the room. Craig was still on the floor behind Tony, so she took a firmer grip on the knife and started again on the bonds around Tony's hands.  
"I'm almost done. Then I need you to untie yourself while I tie him up." Kate commanded.  
"You need to tie him first! What-"  
Tony stopped talking as he heard Kate drop the knife and a body hit the ground.  
"Kate?" She didn't answer him.  
"Kate!" Craig slowly walked around to face Tony. "What'd you do to her you son of a bitch?"  
"Shut up!" Craig hoarsely yelled and struck Tony across the face, drawing blood from his mouth.  
"She's fine." Craig spat. He drug Kate's dead weight back into the chair and retied her. "She'll wake up eventually, running her mouth from the moment she does. Make sure you keep yours shut." Craig tightened the rope around Kate's ankles and began walking to the door.  
"Or else what?" Tony defiantly ventured.  
Craig stopped still in the doorway, his gentle green eyes seemed cold and hard. "Or else Caitlyn there isn't going to have an easy time." He sneered suggestively.  
Tony's eyes lit up like a firebrand. "So help me God, if you lay one finger on her-"  
Craig shrugged. "Have it your way. And when Caitlyn wakes up, I'll have her mine."

AN: I really appreciate y'all's reviews. Yeah, jtb, I know Kate most likely would have tied Craig up first, but for the sake of my next chapter, she didn't. Maybe she was going to beat the hell out of him first. I don't really know WHAT she was thinking. She's the creation of Bellisario or someone like that. Take it up with them! :D That was soooooo wrong of me. Hehehe.  
Review Please!!!!! I'll love you for forever and ever and ever and ever.. And maybe I'll update Not Another One. In fact, I'll start on the third try of the fourth chapter again tonight. BUT, I want at least nine more reviews for this chapter of American Nightmare first. Then I'll post the next chapter of NAO. No sooner. :D I'm so evil. REVIEW!


	15. Teapots

AN: This long awaited (I assume) chapter is dedicated to my friend Kels. She leaves, I finally update. Go figure. :p  
AN2: Yes, finally an update! I'm sorry! I actually found this chapter in my other notebook that I'd abandoned. Ya know, the notebook that has chapter 4 of Harvest in it, as well as the first 3 tries of Not Another One chapter 4 that I had to scrap. LOL. I'm sorta concentrating on Let's Pretend right now.. But I have two first drafts of chapter 2 of Daughters; it's the Abby chapter. Um, I need a filler chapter or 2 for Not Another One, and I can put in the chapter I wrote, I need a filler or 2 for Harvest, and I can put in another chapter, and... Well, I finished chapter 5 of Let's Pretend! Although, now I must tweak it because of something I already posted is in major confliction. :( Oh well, Jenni'll know how to fix it. :D I love my beta. She's special. Speaking of which, you should all really thank Jennifer Paris Morgan, because she's fixing everything for you, and if I can sweet talk her into it, she'll be posting these as soon as she edits them because my baby french fried! sob Oh, and never say that to a homeschool group. They just don't seem to understand and look at you in horror because they think you've dropped an infant into a fry vat. :D Yes, I do know this from personal experience. I don't recommend it to everyone, but it was funny as Hell! Hehe. On to the story...(Unless Jenni has some words of insanity- I mean wisdom, for you. :D)

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Fornell stood in front of the plasma screen, watching Gibbs pace between Kate and Tony's desks.

"Damn it, Tobias! I'm missing something, but I can't figure out what the Hell it is!" Gibbs yelled infrustration.

The senior FBI agent chose his words carefully. "Gibbs, first you need to stop pacing-"

"I can't just sit down while my agents are God knows where! I have too much energy to hold still anyways." Gibbs snarled.

"And it's because of all that damned coffee you drink! Stop pacing." Fornell repeated.

To his surprise, the other man actually stopped. "Now what?" Gibbs asked angrily.

"Now, we go over everything that's happened in the last few days that led up to this. I don't care how insignificant it seems, run it by me."

Gibbs hardened blue eyes bored into Fornell, but the other seasoned agent was used to staring down his own people and held the gaze. Gibbs' glare vanished as he let out a deep sigh and took another breath.

"Monday, Kate came to work as usual, but a bit jumpy. We got a call about a body on the side of the road, checked it out, then Tony took Kte to lunch. They came back, saw Ducky and Abby, who told them the victim had been raped and the face had glass shards embedded in it from a bar the women frequent. I stepped out of the elevator into what appeared to be an argument between Tony and Kate; after I interrupted, Tony left, then Kate.

A half hour later, I cam back up from looking for Abby, and found her in the bullpen. She told me Tony'd come back to talk to Kte, then left to find her after reading something she'd written about being raped."

Frowning, Fornell chose that moment to cut in. "Agent Todd was raped?"

Gibbs shook his head. "We thought she had been, but when Tony and Kate showed up together the next morning, they told us she almost been assaulted at the same bar the shards from the body belonged to. She got away fine, except for some nasty bruises on her shoulders, which look remarkably similar to the ones on our corpse. Kate also said that the guy called her by name, 'Caitlyn'. He also sounded like he had bronchitis or something- gruff voice. Then we got a call about another body found behing the same bar where Kate was attacked. We think it's the same guy taking his frustrations out on these other women."

Gibbs ran a hand over his face. "God, I hope he hasn't hurt her. If that bastard so much as touches her, he'll be begging me to take him to prison." He finished with a guttural murmur.

Fornell's eyebrows rose. "I didn't know you felt that way about her."

Gibbs' eyes widened slightly in mild shock as he realized his mistake. "I don't. I m- I feel that way about all my people."

"Even DiNozzo?" Fornell pressed.

"What- No. Yes- Damn it! She's with Tony, Tobias. She's with him and she's happy. Now drop it!"

Fornell dismissed his friend's outburst with a shrug as he continued their earlier conversation. "After the body, then what?"

Gibbs simply looked at him for a moment before replying. "She cried in his arms in the alley... We came back to work until 1730. I told them to leave as I left for the morgue. On my way to the elevator, I ran into the new mail guy, Craig- Literally ran into; he almost spilled my coffee." Gibbs remembered with a frown.  
Why couldn't people leave his damned coffee alone?

"Anyway, that's the last time I saw either of them. Balboa's checking the security cameras." He finished.

"Who's interviewing the kid?"

"Craig? NO one's gotten hold of him yet. McGee's running the call that Kate got right before they left."

Fornell frowned. "Mail guy was possibly the last to see them; you may wanna track him down personally." He shrugged in deprecation. "It's what I'd do."

Gibbs pulled out his cell phone as he headed for the stairwell. "You coming, Tobias?... Balboa, get Agent Doseck to help you pull all tapes between 1730 and 1800 that lead from the mail room to the mail loading dock in addition to the bullpen. Now!"

Gibbs hung up, hitting speed dial 5 as soon as the other line closed. "McGee, give me Craig Sanders' address."

There was barely a moment's pause before McGee spoke. "416 Pfluger Street. Tiger Annex apartment 32. It's near that bar where we found the second body.. Uh, Boss?"

"I don't have time for this, McGee; spit it out!"

The junior agent swallowed. "That building was condemned a month ago."

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AN: Hope you're all a bit happier now. I found this in my "SENT MESSAGES" box. :DOh, and Kate, hope you liked the chapter name! Muwhahahaha! 


	16. Lines and Shadows

AN: Special NCIS definitions at the bottom. Ie: goatrope, etc. Okay my people, this story is finally coming to a close. sob Well, it is over a year old. :D I'm pretty sure I know what's coming in the next chapter. Yes, that means I haven't written it yet. Sorry. My baby just French-fried again, so I'll be gone for a while again. Probably a month or so. Sorry, again. BUT, I'll try to type stories up at friends' houses and email them to Jenni. Love all of you! Special thanks to Cupid's girlfriend for emailing her review. :D WOW! Made me feel REALLY special. :D lol. This one is for you and The Bookworm Princess. :D Sorry it's two days late. :D I still think that today's Wednesday. LOL. : Sorry for the shortness of the story. But a short update is better than none! So there:p On to the story!

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When Kate woke up again, the moonlight streaming through the window mixed with the street lamps was casting an eerie glow over the room. Her head was pounding from where Craig had hit her with God knows what. She groaned as she recalled her mistake: she should have tied Craig first. There had been no other threat. Gibbs was going to kick her ass when they got out.

'When? At least I'm subconsciously optimistic.' She thought.

Kate wiggled her hands, and winced. Craig had retied them so tightly that the rope was nearly cutting off her circulation. But if she remembered correctly, she'd sawed partially through Tony's bonds. She squinted in the dark, trying to see them clearly. They were shadowed by the loll of his head.

"Tony," Kate harshly whispered. Her partner's head jerked up.

"Kate! Are you okay?"

"Well, I woke up, so I'm pretty sure I don't have a concussion. The back of my head is a bit sore though. Did he hurt you?"

In the darkness, Kate could barely make out the moving outline of Tony shaking his head.

"No, I'm fine… What time is it?"

Kate looked out the window to her right at the night sky.

"Judging by the moon's position, I'd guess it's close to midnight."

"Gibbs should be here any time now." Tony asserted.

Kate sighed deeply as she returned her gaze to the room they were locked in.

"How can you be so sure?" She tiredly asked.

Although she was facing the back of his head and couldn't see it, Tony frowned at her.

"Because he's Gibbs, Kate."

"I- we've been here for hours. You keep talking like you know he's coming. I understand that it's Gibbs, but I don't expect him to come after us now- by Monday morning, sure. But why now?"

"Have you ever noticed where he parks?" Tony quietly asked.

"Level three parking deck next to the green sedan."

"Where he has a perfect view of the parking lot, two sides of the building, the rest of Level three, and both ramps. This morning, we parked right behind him. I know he saw my car still there, so I know he's coming after us. It's only a question of when he gets to his car tonight. Gibbs may be a bastard, Kate, but he's never let us down before."

Kate blushed slightly. She should have though of that herself. Just like she should have thought about tying Craig. It was almost like a bolt of lightning flashed in her head as she remembered why she'd spoken up in the first place.

"Tony, I think I got your hands about halfway undone before he knocked me out. See if you can get loose."

Tony flexed his arms and pulled as hard as possible in opposite directions. His efforts were finally rewarded with the gentle sound of the rope tearing.

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Gibbs slammed his palm into the middle of the steering wheel and the horn blared in response to the sub-speed limit speed of the driver in front of him. The man nearly drove up onto the curb as Gibbs furiously passed him.

"Jesus, Gibbs! You won't be any help to them if you die in a car wreck." Fornell yelled.

"I won't be any help if they're already dead either!"

"Do you think he'll kill them?"

Gibbs gritted his teeth in determination as the speedometer topped 90.  
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AN: Angelii, congratulations! You are the first review out of like… 161 reviews to tell me that you noticed the similarities between the CSI lab tech and my killer. :D The CSI dude's name is Greg Sanders. My guy's name is Craig Anders. You win a cookie! LOL. Actually, you get one wish. Granted(pardon the pun) it can't be money, 'cuz I'm broke. LOL. But anything having to do with the internet, I should be able to pull off. :D Name it.  
Oh, and DEFINITIONS! FUBARD means F'd Up Beyond All Repair. SNAFU is Situation Normal, All F'd Up. :D Edited for ratings approval. ;)


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